“Has Been My Hero”: Kelly Slater Pays a Heartfelt Tribute to 58-Year-Old Compatriot for Influencing His Surfing Career

In the realm of surfing, Kelly Slater needs no introduction. The legendary surfer, at 51 years old, is still competing in professional tournaments and even winning some of them. Slater has etched his name into the sport’s annals by winning 11 World Surf League (WSL) titles and 56 individual events. Yet King Kelly is more than simply a player; he has made significant contributions that have improved the sport as a whole. Slater may be a legend in surfing, but he has an idol he looks up to even now.

Kelly Slater recently paid a massive homage to surfing great Tom Curren, on his Instagram story. Slater mentions how influential Curren was and remains to the surfing world, despite the fact that Curren is just seven years older than Slater.

A tale of a legend from a legend

Back in 1983, while he was still a relative unknown, Tom Curren joined the ASP World Tour. Despite his young age (19), he wasted no time in demonstrating his talents to the world. He was unmistakably on the verge of more podium finishes. By 1985, however, Curren already had 33 event wins to his credit when he won two additional world titles in 1986 and 1990. The icon hung up his board in the mid-1990s, the same year the world saw Kelly Slater’s tentative first steps as a professional, at age 18.

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With Tom Curren’s retirement, Kelly Slater quickly rose to prominence. Although Slater’s career has made it very evident that he is the new king of surfing by setting record after record, he still holds his inspirations in high regard. Curren, in Slater’s opinion, made an indelible mark on the sport. In Slater’s Instagram story, he says, “#tomcurren has been my hero since I was around 10 years old. I surfed waves imagining I was like him for many years. I hope Tom always knows the influence he has on literally every surfer in the 80’s and 90’s and beyond and the impact that has had on surfing worldwide.”

Tom Curren: Surfing in the DNA

Tom Curren isn’t the only member of his family to make significant contributions to the world of surfing. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Tom’s father, Pat Curren, was widely regarded as the sport’s top athlete. His passion for shaping surfboards led to him being one of the first of his kind. Pat just wanted to provide a solid foundation for the sport, which was not universally recognized at the time.

The great surfer’s athletic career began when he was only 18 years old. He joined the Windansea Surf Club when he and his family relocated to La Jolla, California. His enthusiasm for surfing increased once he joined a local club. Post that, Pat Curren took a surfing vacation to Hawaii and honed his skills for close to two years. It pushed him even closer to surfing, and he eventually developed an interest in designing his own surfboard. He spent two years refining the design of the surfboard before it was accepted for usage by pros in 1960. The rest has been history.

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What do you think of Slater’s admiration for Curren? Let us know in the comment section.